In the summer of 1981, a young woman's life was tragically cut short in Oklahoma City. Dedra L. Pettus, a 21-year-old female, died on June 29, 1981, in the apartment she shared with Wanda Jean Allen. An argument between the two women escalated into a violent and fatal confrontation. Pettus was shot and killed, bringing a sudden and brutal end to her young life.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting saw Wanda Jean Allen confess to the act, though her account of the events would be
contested. Allen initially claimed the shooting was an accident, stating that she had fired in self-defense while returning fire from Pettus's boyfriend. However, the physical evidence on Dedra Pettus's body told a different story. Forensic analysis revealed bruises and powder burns, suggesting that she had been pistol-whipped before being shot at close range. This evidence directly contradicted Allen's claim of an accidental shooting from a distance.
Despite the conflicting evidence, Wanda Jean Allen was not tried for murder. Instead, she reached a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. This resulted in a four-year prison sentence, of which she served only two years. The case of Dedra Pettus's death was officially closed, with her killer serving a brief sentence for the violent end she brought to a young life. Seven years after Pettus's death, Wanda Jean Allen would kill again, shooting her then-girlfriend, Gloria Jean Leathers. This second murder ultimately led to Allen's own execution in 2001.
